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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · pass · spell · dip · root · prune · wind · charge

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. charge — a price
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. charge — in control
  7. wind — moving air
  8. dip — to sink
  9. clip — a video
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. clip — for paper
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spell — a short time
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. charge — electricity
  24. root — the cause

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com